Other Side of the Storm
by gaffer42
Summary: What if the Genii had taken Atlantis? Quantum mirror, whumping, all the good stuff. Written in 2005 but never posted here that I can recall. Team, with Ford.
1. Chapter 1

_Rating: T for Teen_

_Warnings: Dark. What more can I say…_

_Category: Angst, drama_

_Comments: This is not the first time I've posted this, but it was originally put up almost a year ago on SGAHC list (before we even had 400 members, if I recall correctly). I was assured by my betas that there is an audience out there for it – and I still can't believe I forgot to post the silly thing… So, here it is. I am taking the opportunity to tweak it a bit, given some comments I had on the original – nothing major plotwise, just for logic's sake. And that means it might be a few parts. It's first season, BTW, so Ford is his usual bouncy self! For anyone's interest, it was written a couple stories before Persistence._

_Thanks to Purpleyin who posted the original on SG Lonelyship back in March 05._

_Like I said to my amazing betas Nebbyjen and Kodiak Bear Country – don't know where this comes from. I have a very sunny personality, normally. Then something like this shows up in my brain and won't leave till it's written down._

_Chapter 1_

He drifted along behind Elizabeth and Sora, moving quietly from shadow to shadow, as if in a dream. Whatever lights he'd once activated simply with his presence remained dark - damaged, or in response to his need for stealth, he didn't know.

It was Atlantis and yet it wasn't - the city had never seemed so dank, smelled so foul. Funk. It was the funk that developed when ocean invaded and left behind small things that died.

Except Atlantis hadn't flooded.

Well, his Atlantis hadn't, anyway.

He reached into his vest pocket and touched the hard, roughly rectangular object that he'd found on his mapping trip. It wasn't Ancient technology, it hadn't jumped to life the moment he touched it, and that alone had made him curious enough to experiment with it. He hadn't even noticed the large, almost rock-like lump in the corner; until he'd realized the scene the mirror-smooth surface showed was not simply a reflection of where he stood.

And he didn't appear in it at all.

Intrigued, he'd reached out, and touched it. Not, perhaps, his best idea. Because where he ended up bore only a faint resemblance to where he left.

And here he was, now, after making his way up to slightly less dank surroundings...he'd recognized Elizabeth's tread and followed the sound, but he still wasn't certain what had made him shadow her, instead of hailing her. Self-preservation, evidently. His instincts were still there, if apparently a bit slow on the uptake. Sora had been with her. Escorting her.

They stopped outside one of the rooms that had once served as a storage area. Sora stood outside as Elizabeth knocked softly. "Rodney?"

There was an answering mumble, and she let herself in. Sora took up a position outside, standing at ease, looking like every guard on every door he'd ever seen.

Time passed. He stayed still, watching, and trying to think - if McKay was inside, and Elizabeth was being escorted by Sora, then he had, indeed, fallen through the looking glass and landed in hell.

There was no other guard on McKay's door, and that bothered him, made him wonder if it was a dream after all – a captive McKay would need guarding, right? Even if it was a fever dream, though, and he'd wake up in the infirmary at Atlantis, something was going on here that had a very bad feel to it. And it left him with only one option - dream or not, don't get caught.

There were footsteps behind him and to his right, and he wedged himself deeper in the alcove as Koyla strode past. He stopped outside. Sora nodded, knocked on the door.

"Dr. Weir," she said.

The door opened again and Elizabeth stepped out.

"Acastus." she said, unsurprised. In fact, all of this had a very routine feel to it, Sheppard noticed, and the gut feeling he had grew worse.

"Elizabeth."

"I'd like a bit more time tonight, if I may. It's been rough today," She stood in profile, the light catching her, and though gaunt there was something about her.

"Elizabeth…"

"And I was wondering if you could give him some time without the drugs," she continued. "They make it hard for him to think. It slows the work."

"That's not why you're asking."

"No. It's affecting him mentally. I…fear for his sanity, if this keeps up."

"That decision isn't mine to make, my dear." Koyla stepped forward, cupped her chin, raised it. She didn't move, didn't resist.

"Acastus, he's no threat - not any more…please. He could still live a long life…"

"We both know that's not in the cards for the good doctor, Elizabeth."

She stood firm, holding his gaze, and he was the one to drop his eyes.

"I will ask Cowan if we can reduce the drugs," he said finally. "I wouldn't hope too much."

She smiled slightly at him. "Thank you, Acastus."

"And I will expect you in an hour. Sora, please make certain Dr. Weir joins me in my quarters."

Elizabeth stepped back and disappeared into the room. Koyla passed the alcove again, but he was deep in thought.

OoO

Sheppard slid quietly down and got comfortable. An hour. His instinct was to disable Sora and rescue Elizabeth and McKay, but he knew he had to get his bearings. It was as if his worst nightmare had come true, and suddenly he realized what was wrong with the city - it had broken apart, when the wave hit. And that meant McKay hadn't gotten the shield up. Though he knew he had.

The control centre and surrounding areas were core to the city, though, and evidently the Ancients had built well - true to their double and triple redundancy they had engineered it to take the worst the planet could dish out. The piers had broken off, likely the internal sensors were so much metal now, but the Stargate and its power source had survived.

And what of Elizabeth and McKay? He peered around the corner again. Sora still stood there. The reference to drugs had made his blood run cold. Given McKay's abilities, evidently Cowan felt it necessary to keep him under some sort of chemical control - but Elizabeth had made reference to his sanity. How long had this been going on?

And where, exactly, was he?

He sat, thoughts chasing in circles. The mirror-like block of stone, the artifact, the bright, clean room; then the mirror-like block of stone, and the mildew factory. Elizabeth and Sora, and the Genaii.

The truth hit him suddenly, like a physical blow. He couldn't breath for a fraction of a second.

"They won," he breathed, involuntarily.

The words were soft, but he heard footsteps approaching. Sora? He flattened into the alcove again but was saved by a quiet voice.

"Sora, I'm ready to go."

The footsteps paused, then turned. He listened until they had faded, then hazarded a glance out again.

Clear.

He ran silently to the door Sora had been guarding and willed the light above it out, then touched the lock and opened it, slipping inside.

The room smelled musty, as if it hadn't been aired in a while. One side of it sat in the isolated glow of small lamps that illuminated portions of what looked like - and probably was - a bomb. A small, locked, lead vault was in one corner.

The other side was in blackness. Something rustled and Sheppard realized they had probably set up living quarters in the lab. The lack of guards on McKay still bothered him. Surely he wasn't being drugged to that point?

He felt his way carefully along the wall, around a chair covered with clothing, then his knee met something hard and metallic, and he swore softly.

"Who is it?" The voice was unmistakable, though there was something about it that sounded confused, beaten.

Sheppard paused, trying to decide what to do, but the choice was made for him when a dim light came on, next to a bed.

"Greya, if it's you, I've told you, it's not gonna happen." McKay's face was faintly lit. Used to the dark, Sheppard had no problem seeing the expression of disdain. But there was something else about him…

"It's me," he said finally. "It's Sheppard."

McKay's face closed down. "Koyla, I know you've been trying to break me. But this won't work."

"McKay! It's me." He moved farther forward into the circle of light, and the expression on McKay's face crumpled.

"Oh, crap, oh, crap…I've lost it, I've finally lost it." He reached to turn off the light, as if to make the apparition go away, and Sheppard stepped forward again, close enough to touch. McKay froze.

"You're dead"

"I'm here."

"I saw you die. I helped you die."

"McKay, I'm standing right here."

There was something – off. Humans have a capacity to process shapes and images, almost subconsciously, and to instantly know if something is amiss. Pilots have that ability honed, and it had taken Sheppard a matter of seconds to realize that there was something missing from the McKay-shape in front of him. But with that ability was the companion ability to know if that difference was a threat or not – and in this case, it wasn't. He dismissed the lack of bulk under the bedclothes where legs would be, focusing instead on his friend who was braced in the corner, convinced he was losing his mind.

"Koyla's men grabbed you. They brought you up to the control room, they shot you twice in the stomach, it would have taken you hours to die if I hadn't smothered you."

The words were flat, emotionless, and it told Sheppard more than the simple recitation of facts. McKay was expressive at the worst of times; this dead fear was something that made his gut knot.

After one early mission, during an evening spent testing the first product of a contraption he wasn't supposed to know about - at least officially - the conversation had turned to the worst way to die.

Ford, Zelenka, Sheppard and a scientist whose name Sheppard couldn't remember had found a quiet spot to sample it. Well, Sheppard had found it – it was a lab, off the beaten path. The occupant had protested, but they'd just moved in. McKay hadn't participated, working away on some obscure task, but he hadn't left, either. It was, after all, his lab.

As the level in the bottle dropped, Zelenka and the other scientist had too. McKay had joined them finally, grudgingly, sipping at the rotgut and making unkind comparisons to stuff he'd made in university. Finally, though, he'd slouched in his chair, seemingly dozing, as Sheppard and Ford winnowed through various deaths their muddled brains could recall - freezing, burning, decapitation, and several others, arriving at being shot in the stomach. It was the one thing they agreed on, and with the seriousness of a good buzz late at night, the two of them made a pact, with great solemnity, that if they were ever in that position, with no hope – McKay had roused to make that comment, no hope - they'd each 'take care of things' for the other.

It seemed McKay had been in on the deal after all, if unofficially. His throat tight, he stared at the physicist.

It wasn't bad enough McKay had had to kill his friend, here he was now, working with the Genii under duress. He'd been mutilated, drugged. And he knew that his captors intended to kill him once his usefulness was over. How much of the McKay he knew would be left after enduring that?

He sat on the edge of the bed, holding the terrified gaze with steady eyes.

"I'm John Sheppard, " he said quietly. "I don't know if I'm the one that belongs here - I was hoping you could tell me - but I'm here now..." and he blinked hard. His eyes were wet, what was that about? "Let me help you."

Life stirred in McKay's eyes. Hope? Curiosity? Sheppard reached out and pulled McKay to him, holding him tightly. "You really did it," he whispered. "Thank you."

The man resisted at first, and for a moment Sheppard thought McKay had gone beyond help, but he didn't let go, just held him and rubbed the bowed shoulders. Slowly McKay relaxed into the embrace, finally raising his arms and returning it. And it took a moment to realize they were both crying, and a fraction of a second to know neither cared.

OoO

''So.''

"So. It looked like a big gray rock," McKay confirmed his description, and his voice, though quiet, was steady. "It's a quantum mirror - it lets you move between all the possible alternate universes, the ones created when you make decisions. Our John Sheppard is dead. You're right, you don't belong in this world.''

He settled a bit. ''Not that I'm sorry to see you,'' he added. ''But I guess you figured that out.''

Sheppard smiled. ''I got that." He shifted around, ending up shoulder to shoulder with McKay, legs crossed under him.

"You know how I came here, but you have to understand that my Atlantis is intact and the Genaii were beaten back. And…" he hesitated.

"Your Rodney's not a double amputee," It was said with surprisingly little self-pity. In fact, it seemed that the ability to converse with his friend again had brought back much of McKay's vitality. "It's all part of the story, Major."

''The wave hit the city.''

He felt, more than saw, the answering nod. ''It was after you...died.'' A pause, and the physicist continued.

''Elizabeth and I weren't feeling co-operative. Koyla threatened us, but we didn't feel we had much left to lose.''

''What happened after?''

"There was a lot of confusion, what with the city breaking up and all, but the gate kept power. I managed to dial up and get a message through. You would have been proud of them, John. They mounted an attack on just a few minutes notice.''

''What went wrong?''

''They were outmanned,'' he said simply. ''Koyla had three companies. I called a retreat to the mainland.'' He sighed, coughed roughly. Sheppard reached over and retrieved the water glass for him.

''Elizabeth and I were making for a jumper. Koyla had a P90 he'd taken off someone. He was very careful to shoot only at my legs, but I don't think he realized how powerful it was. Elizabeth told me I asked her to let me bleed out, let me die, but Koyla had other ideas.''

His tone was level, matter-of-fact, and Sheppard closed his eyes a moment. He opened them again. The image was too much to comprehend.

''What about Elizabeth?''

''I didn't see her till their medics were sure I was going to live. Kolya claimed her. She helps me with - stuff, but he keeps her pretty much under his control.''

''I heard him mention drugs.''

McKay just nodded. "They used injectables for a while, until I was dependent, then switched to pills. I stopped for a bit but…it didn't work. I usually manage to fake it, only take half, just enough to keep the withdrawal from incapacitating me."

Sheppard let his head drop back against the wall. "I am so sorry all this happened," he said.

"Hey - the good guys won somewhere." McKay's grin was crooked, but it was a grin. It faded.

"There's something else."

"What? It gets worse?"

''They're planning to detonate the bomb on the mainland - a test shot that will get rid of the last of the Athosians and our people. It's something they didn't want me to know, but Elizabeth overheard Kolya talking...one night.'' He glanced down, at the place his legs used to be. "It's going to be tomorrow. Day after at the latest."

Sheppard smiled at him. ''And you have a plan...''

McKay smiled back, and it was like his old self was reappearing, after being beaten down.

''Well, of course I have a plan.''

Something dark sat in his eyes, but Sheppard didn't pursue it then. Later, he wished he had.

_Chapter 2_

She stood in front of the mirror and smoothed her shirt down. Nothing. Turning sideways, she did the same, eyeing her profile critically.

Still nothing.

She nodded to herself. She was, perhaps, seven weeks along. And she knew who the father was. Though she hadn't told him yet. The time hadn't been...right.

The quarters had been her own, until the Genii. Now she shared them with Kolya - or perhaps he shared them with her. Sora was outside, as always. She never set foot inside. Her task was to guard Elizabeth Weir, and it was a task she took to heart.

Kolya was off somewhere, tending to the business of the occupying force. He would return soon. This evening was like any other. He'd be courtly, secure in his superiority. They'd eat, and then have a game of chess - which principals he'd grasped almost instantly - or discuss the difference in ideals. In a civilized manner.

She had adapted to the situation, chiefly for Rodney's sake. Her resistance, early in their imprisonment, had resulted in their medics withholding medication from the injured man. She couldn't have him in pain for something she did.

It was hard, though. She looked around the city and remembered, remembered...

Shaking her head, she looked again at her profile. She'd have to start wearing looser clothes. It didn't seem to matter to Kolya what she wore, she was a conquest and he was smug in his mastery. But it did present a problem. He used contraception, perhaps fearful of siring a child on an inferior human. She would start to show, and logic would tell him whose it was.

Would he be pleased, or irate, to know she was carrying Rodney's child?

It had started soon after his release from the infirmary, before the drugs started making him so ill. It was a way of proving to him he was still a man, still strong, and for both of them to have a bit of comfort. It had grown through that and now, she knew, was real love. She lived to see him, touch him. They no longer made love, he was always so weak, but lying in his arms was her world now, her truth. They talked of the time before, of John, of the team and the rest, and it was with regret, not the tearing sorrow, not any more.

She remembered that day so clearly, but with distance - it was like she was watching a particularly tragic movie. Seeing them crouched by Sheppard, hearing his gasps of agony. Rodney's face as he placed his hand, carefully, firmly, over Sheppard's mouth, stopping his nose with the side of his hand. It had taken little time, and there was something like gratitude in Sheppard's eyes…

She shuddered, checked the time. Kolya would be back soon. They'd eat, and talk. She'd already had her time with Rodney, tonight, managed to wheedle an extra hour. She would be raped again. He would fall asleep.

She would lie awake, and hold her belly, and think of Rodney' child.

Maybe she'd tell him tomorrow. In their world, there was never really going to be a good time.

If the bomb was detonated, it might not end up mattering.

OoO

"Hey."

Sheppard snorted.

"Hey, sleeping beauty." Something hit his shoulder and he was awake instantly.

Rodney was at the table, writing. He'd tossed a balled up sock. That's what had hit him.

He sat up, looked at it, flipped it aside.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to fall asleep."

Rodney grinned. "Always envied you for that. You could sleep anywhere."

Sheppard stretched. "A knack," he said modestly. "What now?"

"You take this back through the mirror." Rodney put the book on the tray of his chair, and wheeled over. "This is everything you need to know. Brief history, layouts, and the plan. The Genii left only a small contingent here - I kept on about the dangers of radioactivity and Kolya finally sent most of the men back. There's only about forty. I figure…" he opened the front and pointed at a neatly drawn map "that we should be able to take them. Two jumpers land on the outskirts and sneak up. One comes in the front door. What'dya think?"

Sheppard flipped the book open, scanning the pages.

"And you need…"

"You, Ford, Teyla and a radio. Highest power possible."

"No more troops?"

Rodney shook his head. "I wasn't lying about the radiation. Kolya - and Elizabeth's - quarters are about as far away as they can get, and when she's here everything's in the vault, but still there's potential for this to go really badly wrong. And if it does I have a backup plan."

Sheppard looked at him expectantly.

"Let's hope it doesn't get to that," McKay said, heading back to the table. "You have a few hours till light. Get through the mirror - I've set the controller, it should be your reality. If it isn't, key up a couple and down a couple. You'll find it. You'll have an affinity for it, having come through from it."

He nodded absently, examining the notes.

"Any time you're ready..." McKay encouraged.

"Think my McKay could find this place again? Without me?"

"Your McKay. How paternal." Sheppard glanced up, and he nodded, huffing.

"Naturally. He is, after all, me. Essentially. Though whatever missions he's been on since will naturally have altered his experiences...that's an interesting idea, really, if you could somehow do a comparison..." he stopped. "What?"

Sheppard was grinning widely. "That's more like you," he said, affectionately.

"Puhleese. Of course it's like me, it is me." He looked pointedly at his watch. "Leaving now would be a really good idea..."

Sheppard closed the book. "Set this controller for here," he passed it back after committing the settings to memory. "I'm staying."

"What?" McKay rolled his chair over and stared up in disbelief. "You're nuts."

"Your intel is, at best, months old. I plan to sneak around and update it."

McKay seemed about to argue, but the logic made him pause.

"Ok," he said grudgingly. "But watch it. Don't want to have to save your life again. I'm out of practice."

He made a modification and handed it back. Sheppard took it and the book, but paused.

"What about Elizabeth?"

"She's safer where she is for now. Believe me. Whatever else you can say, Kolya takes good care of his…possessions." The bitterness made him glance up, but McKay had turned away, and he let it drop.

OoO

Sora stood guard impassively. The night guard would relieve her in a few moments, but in the meantime she hoped they'd keep talking, for just a bit longer.

Kolya was her mentor, her hero. She supposed she had a crush on him. She was angry with Elizabeth; the woman didn't seem to appreciate what she had with him. Weir said the right things, did the right things, but it didn't reach her inside, she had no feelings for her superior officer.

And it hurt to stand outside and hear the noises from within.

When her relief appeared she nodded, trading off the responsibility, and headed back to McKay's quarters. She could have sworn she'd heard something, seen the shadow of someone waiting nearby. And that hallway was considered off limits. She had been on the verge of investigating then, but Elizabeth had called her back.

It was hours later, and she knew there were no odds of anyone being there, but her curiosity wouldn't let her sleep until she'd investigated.

OoO

Sheppard slipped out the door, paused. Even if he hadn't known it already, he would have felt that he was in the wrong Atlantis. There were breezes from odd places. The whole place struck him as a derelict ship, drifting on the ocean.

He kept to the shadows, moving off.

OoO

Sora caught sight of the movement, and froze. It was a man, trying to remain unseen, slipping through the darkness. She followed, as he went down, farther into the depths of the city than she'd ever been. She couldn't see his face, but something about him seemed oddly familiar.

She stopped when he did, and watched as he slipped into a room.

OoO

He scouted the room. There had to be a controller on this side, too, Rodney insisted. It wasn't where the other had been, and he had almost given up when he moved aside a rotten case - and there it was. Covered in muck and mildew, it nonetheless lit up when he touched the button. He cleaned it off and adjusted the settings, then set his original one top of the notebook and tied the two together.

The mirror was blank, but when Sheppard pointed his grubby controller at it and powered it, it sprang to life like a television set. 'An affinity' McKay had said. Meaning what…it would feel right?

He stared at the image, and, surprisingly, something told him it wasn't, in fact, right. Up a couple, down a couple. He touched the indicators, and the 'screen' shifted and blurred. He stared into room after room. But then he hit one. And this one was it.

It was almost as if he'd known he'd be dumped in an alternate universe, he mused. No trail of breadcrumbs, something better. He squinted. He'd had a PDA with him, updating the on-line blueprint comparisons they were working to complete. He'd put the PDA down on the table when he picked up the controller. And there it was. Bingo. All McKay had to do was check the updates with his userID against the most recent updates.

He tossed the two items at the face of the mirror, and with a flash it was flipped into the other universe. Just as the image faded, he thought he caught sight of someone at the other door.

Mission accomplished. He regarded the controller, thinking. Then he concealed it behind the same rotting case. It would be found with a search, but a casual glance would reveal nothing. Instincts honed from experience in both galaxies told him it would probably be best to leave the key near the door.

He paused before leaving, listened hard. Hearing nothing, he slid the door open.

The Genii pounced.

_Chapter 3_

Kolya was self-contained, Sheppard had to give him that. He'd shown little surprise when the guards had dragged him in, merely raising his eyebrows. He'd waved them to dump him in the chair that sat in front of his desk.

"This is something unexpected." he greeted. "I thought your friend killed you months ago."

"Yeah, it was a bit awkward when I stopped by to say hello. He kept apologizing."

"I'm certain he wasn't on his knees while doing it."

Sheppard kept his face steady, neutral. "He did mention he'd been thinking of losing weight."

Kolya blinked at that, and Sheppard felt a small glow of satisfaction. It died when Kolya nodded at his guards, and the first blow fell. Then someone dragged him to his feet and the beating began in earnest.

OoO

It had started out as such a good idea.

McKay moaned, bent over, held his stomach for a moment until the nausea passed. Something tickled his nose, and he dragged the back of his hand across it, stared at the smear of blood. There were already blisters on his arms, he'd covered that by wearing long sleeves, but his hair - never thick at the best of times - was thinning even more.

He had vowed to Elizabeth, those terrible minutes they'd huddled together after he'd killed his best friend, that the Genii wouldn't get anything from him. Then the wave had come. The attack had been mounted by the group from offworld. And they'd failed.

The rest had managed to flee to the mainland. At first he'd rebelled, even in their crude hospital - every declined med, pulled IV was met with threats. Still, he'd persisted, until they'd brought Elizabeth to visit - and when she left Cowen had made it clear her life depended on his co-operation.

So he worked for them, slowly, unwillingly, in a drugged fog much of the time - but it was all part of his plan. It got him access to all sorts of interesting material. Most of it radioactive.

But it was so poor in quality. It took ages to accumulate the exposure he needed to start to die.

He loved Elizabeth, and knew that love was returned, but that very bond kept her here. She wouldn't leave him, no matter what her life had become. Not as long as he was alive.

The deadline was approaching. And when the bomb was a dud, he knew they'd take it out on her, not him.

They'd still need him.

Radiation was taking too long. He hoped the other McKay read between the lines of the letter he'd sent. If this 'Hail Mary' didn't work, he had to have a backup.

He sighed.

For just a few hours he'd dreamed of freedom, escape. Even legless, it would have been worth it - but he'd managed to forget the time bomb inside him, the radiation sickness that was slowly killing him, from the inside out.

All he could hope to do now was to go out with a bang.

OoO

Sheppard stared at the bug as it crawled across the floor. It wasn't an ant, precisely, but it moved with the same single-minded determination as one, trudging forward with some destination on its ant-mind.

He knew he couldn't stand yet. They'd been thorough, efficient, everything the Genii were known for. At some signal from Kolya, though, they'd stopped and let him drop to the ground, which was where he'd made his buggy acquaintance.

Ribs. For certain, at least two, cracked, maybe broken. Bruises. Kidneys were aching. Several good hits to his face made it pretty certain he wouldn't be getting his photo taken in the near future.

A boot landed on the ant, and he felt a moment of irrational anger.

"Lock him up. Give him something more to think about. I don't know where he came from, but right now I don't care. We know where he was found, check the room and report," A pause. "We have to get the test firing planned - if he's still alive when we're done, I'll do a proper interrogation."

OoO

Farrar had poked his head in the room, empty - except for Sheppard's PDA. He tapped his earpiece. "Lieutenant Ford? I have something."

A floor above, Ford tapped back in reply, beckoned the rest of the squad. Sheppard had been missing, now, for almost twelve hours. Had he not been off duty, it would have been much less, but no one had noticed until Teyla had asked Control where he was, having missed him at a training session.

Weir had hit the panic button. McKay had the idea to check if any of the blueprints had been updated, and by whom. It brought them to an area that had been briefly reconnoitered, but not explored.

They'd split up - McKay showed the mapping ended in another room but there had been nothing there - and now the rest of the squad doubletimed it to Farrar's position,

Ford checked the PDA with a practiced eye. It had been turned off some eleven hours and forty two minutes earlier. He reported the discovery to Weir, as his men searched. It wasn't a large room, had some interesting rock samples in it, including a huge one in the corner that had one side polished to mirror smoothness.

But no Sheppard. He directed his men to continue on the level, followed them out, then remembered the PDA. He turned, and something flashed.

Warily, he stepped back in.

A black notebook lay on the floor, with something rectangular tied to it.

"What the heck?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 4_

It smelled like the inside of his old station wagon, when he'd forgotten to take his surfing wetsuit out one night. He'd ended up tossing the wetsuit, but his car had stunk for weeks after.

Sheppard shifted carefully, working his way from horizontal to vertical, leaning back against the wall and holding his arm tight against his chest. It eased the breathing a bit. He had no idea how long he'd been out, but there was no noise outside, no running feet, no indication that anything was happening.

Morosely, he wondered how long the book and the controller would lie there. Timing was everything. And so much for updated intel.

There had to be a way out.

His breathing was easier sitting, and he thought he'd try standing. It took three attempts, but he was finally up on his feet, swaying. Moving helped. He scouted the room thoroughly, but it was depressing work - it had been a storeroom, refitted crudely as a brig - a blanket, a bucket. And it was featureless inside, the only exit was the door.

He smiled. McKay - his McKay - had determined that the Genii lacked the DNA marker that enabled them to initialize Ancient technology. He approached the door, laid a hand on it with confidence - and it tried to open, it really did, but something on the other side was stopping it. He ran his hands over the edges, stopping in disbelief at a set of dimples. The tips of screws. Unable to control the doors, they'd made a brig by the simple measure of screwing a lock assembly to the outside.

He drew a deep breath, swore with feeling and fluency for a moment. Then he patted his pockets down, searching. Nothing.

He began the circuit again, this time looking for something small and thin and metal.

OoO

"How long will they have?" Weir asked as they watched Ford and Teyla outfit for the mission.

"Hard to say," McKay replied. "If their doubles are on the mainland, they should have a good twenty four hours before any effects are noticeable. On the other hand, I'm pretty certain an Athosian has never gone through - it may be different for them."

He turned to her. "Elizabeth, I really think I should go…"

"No, not you. Your double was clear about that in the plan. What was in the letter, anyway?"

"The letter…crap. Teyla!"

She looked up at his approach, and he handed her a white packet.

"Give this to Sheppard when you see him, it's to go to McKay over there. He…asked for it."

Teyla tipped her head back at his uncharacteristic hesitation. "What does it contain?"

He wouldn't meet her eyes. "Teyla? Trust me? It's not dangerous to you. Please."

She nodded finally, and tucked the packet in her vest. Turning, she raised her eyebrow at Ford, who responded with a grin.

"Ready to go, Doc. Hey, wonder if the other Ford's as cute as me…"

McKay shook his head, and picked up the controller. He checked the main power indicator with the ease of practice, and brought the mirror up.

"Wow." Ford sounded awed.

"Yeah. Listen, be careful. The Genii hold the city. Sneaky does it."

"Sneaky's my middle name," Ford said with a grin. He glanced at Teyla. "Together, right?"

"Hold hands." McKay confirmed.

"We'll be here when you get back," Weir said. "Good luck."

And then, a flash of light later, they were gone.

OoO

It was just a splinter of metal, maybe an inch and a half long. But it would serve.

Sheppard worked away at the dimples, peeling the material away from it and exposing the ends of the fasteners. Then he started digging around it. It was slow work.

But he was patient.

OoO

Kolya watched as McKay went through the final assembly, demonstrating it to the other Genii scientists. He'd managed to keep the location of the test shot a secret, and it amused him to think that the human was aiding in the destruction of his friends.

He would miss his discussions with Weir. He had originally planned to kill her, but having each hostage for the other's behaviour had worked out so much better.

His radio chirped. "Kolya."

"The room contained only some geological samples, no radioactivity. Nothing of interest."

"Acknowledged. Kolya out." He turned his attention back to McKay.

Demonstration concluded, McKay rolled the chair to the vault. "We need another five grams, Kolya. I told you that a week ago. I don't suppose those monkeys you call technicians have managed to prepare that much?"

Containing his temper, Kolya nodded. "It will be here by the end of the day. The shot is scheduled for tomorrow. Once that is done, we will release you and Dr. Weir to the mainland, as agreed."

McKay's back was to him, but he saw the nod.

"As agreed."

OoO

Kolya always left a bad taste in his mouth. Or maybe it was something else.

McKay drank the last of his water - Elizabeth would be bringing more shortly, he knew. Where was Sheppard? How much city was there left to scout?

"I'll bet you got yourself into trouble again." he muttered, and placed the silver tube in the vault. The cramps caught him unawares, and he folded, a small cry forced out between gritted teeth as the pain built. Dimly, he heard the door open behind him, and Elizabeth ran to him, catching him as he fell, whimpering with pain; easing him to the floor. He passed out in her arms.

OoO

It was beyond weird, Ford decided. Beyond freaky. Atlantis was a dead city, he could feel it. He shook out the small map, checking it again. Teyla, beside him, was a coiled spring.

"Come on. We're supposed to meet the Major at McKay's lab."

All senses alert, they headed out.

OoO

She'd managed to get Rodney back to the bed, and she lay beside him, holding him as he gradually woke.

"Hi." she said, smiling at him. He smiled back, a bit weakly, and sighed.

"Another reaction, huh." he said resignedly.

"Yes. I'll talk to Kolya again. Rodney..." she started, but he cut her off.

"Elizabeth, listen. I have something to tell you. It's important, and it might mean taking back the city."

She raised up on one elbow. "I'm all ears."

"Good. Elizabeth. Think back on the SG1 reports. Do you recall one on something called a Quantum Mirror?"

_Chapter 5_

There weren't many guards, and they had no real problem making it to the lab unobserved. Sora was standing guard outside. Teyla silenced her with a brisk tap to the base of the skull, and found an empty room to put her in, pulling the door shut by hand behind her. Ford gave the 'shave and a haircut' knock - it was a safe bet no Genii would know it - and the door opened.

The room was dim, and Weir was sitting next to McKay, who was propped up in bed. The light pooled around their faces.

"Doc?" Ford stepped forward.

"Aiden," Weir smiled. "And Teyla. It's good to see you."

"Well, it's not exactly us - not your us…"

She nodded. "I know. Rodney has explained."

Were those tears? "What's wrong, m'am?"

She didn't answer, and McKay spoke up.

"I think John's been captured." The physicist didn't sound himself, his voice was raspy, hoarse. Weir handed him a glass of water.

"Doc? Are you okay?"

"He's - had a rough time, Aiden. John sent the message hours ago, he was going to scout a bit and come back here, but he hasn't. We're worried."

"We can have a look."

"The attack has to come within the next three hours, before Cowen comes for the bomb. I don't think you have the time go after him." The water hadn't helped much.

"We'll take the time."

"Lieutenant Ford, no one wants to find him more than us, but in a matter of hours, there's going to be an atomic blast on the mainland that will wipe out everyone we care about." Weir's voice was sharp, and Ford stepped back a bit.

"Teyla, get to the highest room you can and send the transmission," McKay said. "Ford, it's up to you to get the hanger bay doors open. And Elizabeth."

She turned to him, and he touched her cheek.

"Go with Teyla."

"Rodney, no…"

"Please. I'll see about finding Sheppard. Go with her; take the first jumper out if things go south. I'll follow."

She held his gaze. "Promise me."

Ford looked away uncomfortably. It was a very private moment and he felt uncomfortable witnessing it.

"I promise I'll try."

She kissed him, lingeringly. Teyla watched, compassion in her eyes, and when Elizabeth stood she stepped forward.

"Our Doctor McKay asked me to give you this," she said, passing a small packet to him.

He saw her glance down, see what had been done to him, look up at him again, stricken, and he held a finger to his lips fleetingly. "No need to worry," he said. "Don't I always come through?"

She recovered herself, nodded. "Until we meet again," she said quietly, knowingly.

OoO

Patience was a virtue. He'd worked two screws loose, and he planted a size eleven hard on top of the holes he dug. Once, twice. He held his ribs. Three times.

And the door opened.

He stayed inside, waiting for the guards to come running, but it appeared he'd been forgotten. Mildly insulted, he headed for the lab.

OoO

Kolya stormed into the control room. "Where is Sora?"

"She's guarding Doctor Weir. Her last reported position was the lab."

"She's not responding," he muttered. "Greya. Go get her."

OoO

Teyla set up the radio, powered it, and handed the mic to Weir. She took a deep breath.

"Weir calling any survivors of Atlantis. Weir to the survivors of Atlantis. Please respond."

OoO

Sheppard ducked a duo of running Genii. Something had put the cat among the pigeons. They were heading for the lab. Quietly, he followed.

OoO

Ford found himself a quiet cranny behind one of the pillars. It was in the dark - the control room was poorly lit by emergency lighting, and the natural light didn't make it far into the room. He'd made it up the stairs in good time, and checked his watch. All he could do now was wait.

Chapter 6 

Harsh voices came from the lab.

"I never saw her! Don't touch that, you want to blow us up?" McKay's voice was clear.

"Sora's last report was from here. She had escorted Doctor Weir to you. Where is she?"

"I never saw her!"

"Where is she!"

There was a sharp sound of a blow, and a short cry. Sheppard let the rage build, contained it, and slipped into the room.

Two Genii were standing over McKay, who was on the floor on his back, defiant.

"She never came in. I keep telling you that."

One drew his foot back, ready to deliver a kick, and Sheppard threw an arm around his neck, swinging him off balance and using him as a shield - the other guard aimed but hesitated, and McKay grabbed him by the legs. Sheppard twisted the head of the one he held, snapping his neck and drawing his weapon from the man's holster as he collapsed. He swung and shot as the other guard was coming to his feet, coming after him.

He glanced behind him and the door slid closed in response.

"You ok?" He helped McKay into the wheelchair, not missing the flash of pain across his friend's face.

"I'll live. Good to see you. Again." He looked at Sheppard. "You look like hell. Are YOU ok?"

A small grin, as he gave McKay's words back to him. "I'll live. Got treated to a chat with Kolya and his goons, is all. Where are we? Did they come?"

McKay grinned. "Oh, yes. They came."

OoO

It was always worst waiting. And there was no way to know for certain if Teyla and Weir had gotten through. They could be waiting for nothing. McKay had been firm in his conviction that the Ford here would be monitoring the channels, but he had to ask himself - would he?

He tried to imagine himself in similar circumstances. Two members of the party still trapped in enemy hands.

Yes, he decided, he would.

He shifted. Kolya was still in the control room, but he was quiet now, and it was alarming. They'd suspended the search for Sora. Two guards were not answering hails. A report indicated Sheppard had escaped from wherever he was being held. And now…

Now the gate was flashing, someone was dialing in.

"Report."

Ford's head snapped up. That was Cowen.

"We need re-enforcements. Two companies, right now. Sheppard is back."

"You told me he was dead. That the cripple killed him."

Cripple? Ford listened hard.

"McKay killed Sheppard. I saw him do it."

"Explain."

"I can't. But he is here, nonetheless."

"Capture him. Shoot him again. Make certain McKay can't give him mercy this time."

Kolya nodded. "I still need the men, Cowen. It may take some time."

"You will have them shortly. Keep looking, Kolya. He is dangerous."

Ford slid down in his hiding spot, jaw hard, and decided he didn't much like this reality. And another two companies were coming through. He had to warn the others. But he had to be on station to open the hanger doors…

A shape slid through the darkness. He pulled up his weapon, before realizing it was Sheppard.

OoO

"Damn."

Ford finished his report. "Yes, sir."

"Where are we in the count?"

They were whispering, watching the activity in the control room.

"If we're on schedule - maybe another thirty minutes."

"Tight."

"Yes, sir." Sheppard was silent, and Ford frowned. "Sir, I heard - some stuff - about you and Doctor McKay, what happened…"

"This reality, Ford. Not ours."

"Yes, sir."

And then the gate began to dial, and men began to pour into the gateroom.

OoO

Teyla and Elizabeth ghosted down the hall, abandoning the radio as planned, stopping in a corner for Elizabeth to catch her breath.

"Sorry. Out of shape."

Teyla eyed her. "And you are with child."

She looked up sharply. "You can tell?"

"I can," She smiled. "I can see it in your eyes. You still have joy."

Elizabeth smiled. "It's Rodney's." she admitted quietly, proudly.

Teyla nodded, turned her eyes away. McKay knew he was a dead man, he'd as much as admitted it when he accepted the packet. Teyla carried nothing without knowing exactly what it was.

She schooled her expression to a smile, turned back. Elizabeth hadn't noticed, she was looking down at what was a slight prominence after all.

"Are you rested? We must continue."

OoO

"Time."

Sheppard gave the order. Ford sighted, fired the dart gun. He'd thought McKay was crazy, but it was almost silent, as he'd said, and the dart fragmented. No one seemed to notice, everyone had moved to the railing, looking down, seeing the cream of the Genii armed forces arrive. The button flattened under the pressure and above them the iris began to open.

And all hell broke loose.


	3. Chapter 3

_Well, they're both finished so here they are! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I've gone through my files – no other ones are hiding in there. Which means next time I'll have to do it the hard way…;)_

_Chapter 7_

Later, Sheppard realized that Kolya had half-expected this attack ever since Sheppard's arrival. His existing men were ranged defensively, and engaged the attackers on the edge of the city moments after the jumper arrived - the loudspeakers were alive with orders and cries, and sounds of battle.

"Go." Sheppard told Ford. "To the rendezvous. You can't do anything more here."

He saw a moment of resistance, but Ford, good soldier that he was, nodded and vanished. Sheppard peered out, wondering who was flying the jumper and firing with such accuracy - it was Beckett, who made the craft dance and jig. In the co-pilot's seat - was that Teyla?

They were taking heavy fire, and he yearned to stay and help, but he had another responsibility. He slipped down the staircase and made for the jumper bay.

OoO

"Two jumpers remain, according to your report, and one is flyable." Teyla said, helping Weir over some rubble. "Major Sheppard will initialize. A pilot is coming from another landing place to take you and the Doctor off, in case the battle goes badly. If it goes well and Atlantis is re-taken - you will return."

"If not?"

Teyla frowned. This she wasn't so certain about. "I have been assured it will not remain in Genii hands."

"What? The self-destruct? I have to be there, Teyla, there aren't two command codes present…"

"Doctor McKay will work it out." she replied calmly. "We must worry about you."

OoO

Sheppard made the bay. The Genii were still spread thin, and he nipped in, initialized the jumper, and waited for the second pilot.

OoO

Ford slipped into the room across from the lab. To his way of thinking, Kolya was going to connect McKay to the attack, and he'd need a guard. And it was on the way to the rendezvous point, so he was still obeying orders.

More or less.

OoO

They were getting closer to the control room, and there was more sounds of firing, shouts. They were trotting, running by turns, Teyla staying by Elizabeth, supporting her over the rubble that still littered the hallway.

There was an explosion. It seemed very near, and Teyla cried out, and collapsed.

Simply folded to the ground, bonelessly.

"Teyla!"

Elizabeth knelt by her, looking for wounds - shrapnel? Concussion? But Teyla appeared uninjured, physically, though her face was folded in pain.

"Teyla? What's wrong?"

"Dr. McKay warned me," she gasped. "Reaction. To this place…" she groaned slightly, curled over.

"Teyla, we can't stay here. I'm so sorry, but we've got to keep going."

"A moment…" she whispered tightly, but there were footsteps and Elizabeth knew there was no time. She helped her carefully to her feet and, wrapping her arms around her friend, they kept going.

OoO

The pain was getting worse, but there wasn't much longer to endure it. McKay gritted his teeth against the ache and pulled up on the false bottom of the drawer of his lab table.

He pulled the unit out carefully, placed it on the table. Stared at it.

The battle was going badly, he knew.

Time for plan B.

_Chapter 8_

Elizabeth and Teyla appeared at the door on one side of the bay, and Sheppard saw that Teyla seemed to be leaning heavily on Elizabeth. He palmed the door open and met them.

"What happened?" He helped them to the bench.

"She collapsed." Elizabeth replied, tearing her eyes from the sight of Sheppard, alive, and moving so that the Athosian could lie down. Even hearing it from Rodney, she hadn't more than half-believed it.

"Teyla?"

"I am recovering, Major. The pain was intense."

"We have to get out. You must be more sensitive to this universe." He looked out the door again, impatient.

Elizabeth nodded. "Or something happened to her doppleganger."

OoO

Time ticked past, and no sign of Kolya. Ford began to wonder what was happening upstairs. They needed intel, he argued to himself, and he wouldn't be that far away. There was a window at the end of the hall that looked almost straight into the gateroom. And he had these nifty, high powered binoculars…

OoO

It was Stackhouse that appeared, finally. Sheppard planted him in the pilot seat.

"We're going after McKay," he said. "We'll contact you. But if we're not here in fifteen minutes, leave."

"John?" Elizabeth touched his hand. She'd been staring at him again, as if she couldn't get her fill of seeing him.

"Elizabeth." He crouched by the bench, took her hand in his. "I'm sorry. In our reality, we won. We'll try to make it true here, too."

She hugged him gently, mindful of his bruises, knowing from experience what they meant. "Missed you," she whispered, and Sheppard squeezed his eyes shut. Too much to do, no time for emotion…but it was Elizabeth, and she needed him. He returned the embrace, cautiously, because of his ribs, then knelt back and looked into her eyes.

"Leave, Elizabeth. Be safe. If you have to leave, you know I'll get McKay out some other way."

He stood, glanced at Stackhouse, who nodded.

"Yes, sir" and Sheppard knew he would wait, only fifteen minutes, no more.

OoO

The heart of the battle was still raging on the floors above. Sheppard leaned hard against the wall just outside McKay's lab, panting, P90 in hand, and heard running steps behind him - he swung out and verified his target for a nanosecond before opening up on the Genii running towards him. He glanced at Teyla, peering around the corner, propped up in his old alcove from when this whole nightmare began.

He tucked the weapon up against his shoulder, ignored his ribs - the heat of battle was good for something - and slipped down the side of the hall, stopping just outside, banging the door with the butt of his weapon.

"McKay!" he yelled. "The party's over - we're getting out!"

He glanced up at more running feet - it was Ford pounding down the ramp towards him, tucking his binoculars into his vest.

"They've taken the control room, sir. We're not holding them."

"McKay! Damnit!" Sheppard flung the door open with a single, furious thought. "See Teyla? Stay with her, she's feeling it. Keep watch from there," he directed Ford.

He slipped inside. The lights were dim, as they always were, except on the lab table where they were bright white. A silver tube with buttons on it sat there. McKay was in front of it, slouched in his chair, staring at it.

"We're outta here, McKay." Sheppard strode over and unlocked the brakes on the wheels. "Come on. They've got the control room, we have to leave."

McKay didn't look up. "No, John. I'm not going."

"Bull, you're not going!" Sheppard's head swam slightly as the adrenaline began to lose the battle with his injuries, and he leaned on the lab table. It brought McKay's face into his line of sight and he frowned. "What's wrong - what's bleeding?"

McKay looked up. "You shouldn't be here, John," he said quietly, disregarding the streams of blood that dripped off his chin. "Go and save Elizabeth. Then save yourself. Please."

Sheppard shook his head slightly, leaned down farther. "You're sick. Come on. Carson can help."

McKay laughed shortly, mirthlessly, then coughed twice. "John. I'm dead. I just haven't laid down yet." He coughed again, harder, and it brought bright red blood to mix with the streaks that seemed like warpaint on his white face.

Sheppard felt his gut twist. "Oh, crap."

Radioactive material. A genius made to work at a weapon against his will. Another held hostage for his good behaviour.

McKay was watching him through bloodshot eyes, nodded as he saw realization.

"I couldn't take the chance, John," he said softly. "I had to make certain I couldn't be of use to them for long. And it was Elizabeth - she wouldn't leave me in their hands - wouldn't even try to escape. I had to make certain she wouldn't have any reason to stay if the opportunity to leave presented itself."

He began to cough again, and Sheppard let his weapon drop, braced the quivering shoulders with his arms.

"You always wanted to go out with a bang…" he said ruefully.

"And…it'll be a good one..." McKay choked. "You gotta go. This controls the release of three gallons of cesium. When I had them put the detection system in, every sensor contained it. Little explosives. Every alarm will go off. They'll be forced to abandon the city."

"And cesium has a short half-life. The city will be habitable again."

"Eventually. John, pass me what's in that packet?"

It was the one the other Rodney McKay had sent through with Teyla. He opened it carefully, drew out a small bottle. It held something yellow. He opened it, sniffed, stared, shocked, at McKay.

The physicist just nodded. "I'm a coward," he whispered. "Radiation poisoning is really painful. I can't take it much longer. That - " he tilted his head at the bottle "is my easy way out."

"Major, gotta move!" Ford's voice came through faintly.

Sheppard capped the bottle, crouched before McKay, ignoring the ache from the bruises. He met the man's eyes, handed the vial of lemon juice over.

"Rodney," He paused, trying to find words. "I - thank you. For everything. You're the bravest man I know."

McKay's gaze was steady. "Thank you for being alive, John. You tell the other me. Life doesn't get better than living on Atlantis, being on your team. Tell him to enjoy it."

"Major, now!"

He stood reluctantly, reluctantly shouldered his P90. Grasped McKay's shoulder. And left without looking back.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 9_

Ford was shuffling up and down the corridor.

"They're about to overrun this position." he said. "Where's McKay?"

"He's not joining us," Sheppard replied. "I agreed."

His vision blurred for a moment and he rubbed his sleeve over his eyes, then pulled up his radio. "Let's move out."

OoO

"He was dead when I got there, Elizabeth," Sheppard's voice filtered over the speaker, and he sounded winded, sorrowful. "I'm sorry."

Stackhouse heard a quiet sob behind him, but listened to Sheppard. It shocked him how deeply the news affected him, he couldn't imagine how Weir would react, but there would be time to mourn later. The distant keen of alarms penetrated the hull of the jumper and he glanced at his watch.

"So the cesium will dissipate?"

"Not certain which flavour he used, but keep checking for radiation. Ford saw the gate activate, and you can hear the sirens - we figure they're bugging out but you might want to be careful. It could be a year, four years, fifty. Keep checking."

"Understood. Anything else?"

"That's it. Good luck. Sheppard out."

OoO

They made it down without further incident. The sirens wailed, and Sheppard tried to close his ears to them as he activated the mirror. The three of them stood together, holding on, and Ford touched the mirror - as something wrenched him away from the rest.

He fell back, rolled, and came to his feet.

It was Kolya.

OoO

McKay paced. Teyla and Ford sat against the wall, being checked over by Carson and his crew, and Elizabeth looked on, arms folded. But of all of them, McKay knew most about the quantum mirror, and he paced. And lectured.

"…brings us into an entirely new way of thinking about the Ancients, and their technology - but this was dated back even older than the city, which might mean that they located both this one and the one that was brought back to Earth and left them as - what - auxiliary Gates? Backup for their travels? Ways to put right what once went wrong?"

He shook his head, still pacing. "That could mean that there was a race of highly intelligent, technologically advanced beings that predate the Ancients. Sort of the - ancient Ancients, if you will."

He stopped, realizing no one was listening. "And where is he?" he asked. "You said he was right behind you."

"He was," Ford replied, gently pushing away the doctor who was trying to take his temperature. He stood, retrieved his P90. "Dr. Weir, request permission to go back."

Weir glanced at Beckett, who frowned. "The deterioration has begun, Doctor. I don't know that it would be safe for them to be there any longer."

"We know what's happening, and we know the layout," Ford reminded her. "It wouldn't take us long to find him."

He glanced down at Teyla as he spoke, and his argument died on the vine. She was semi-conscious, and the doctors tending to her were beckoning the gurney over.

"Why is she more affected?" Weir asked McKay.

"Hard to say." he replied, distractedly. "Maybe her doppleganger was nearer to our Teyla than their Ford was to ours. Maybe their Teyla was sick or injured and it - communicated itself somehow."

He sighed. "We just did the most cursory of experiments with the mirror back in Area 51 - it was far, far too dangerous to be monkeying around with to any extent."

"He should have made it through by now, Doctor," Ford turned back to Weir. "He has to have run into trouble. The way it was over there…" he glanced at McKay "it was terrible, m'am. We have to get him back."

"You've been too affected, Lieutenant. And I agree with Doctor McKay, while I share your concern about the Major, we must consider the dangers of experimenting with this mirror."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold it!" McKay protested. "Never said that we can't try, don't go putting those words in my mouth!"

"And I feel fine, Doctor!" Ford objected. "I don't know why it's affecting Teyla more than me, maybe because she's Athosian."

"It could be," McKay picked up the thought "The Athosians' DNA is slightly different, it could be enough to make her more sensitive to the conditions on the other side…

"Stop!" Weir raised her hands. "I don't want to leave Major Sheppard there either. But it would make more sense if we sent people who haven't already accumulated damage."

She turned as Teyla was lifted to the gurney and didn't see McKay catch Ford's eye, holding up the controller, nor Ford's nod. They drifted casually towards the mirror, Ford retrieving Teyla's P90 on the way. She did see the flash of light, though, and spun, protest dying on her lips as she saw the mirror flare and darken again.

"Damn!"

_Chapter 10_

Sheppard stumbled again, back pedaling. It shouldn't be happening, he told himself, there was no John Sheppard in this universe, no reason for him to feel like he'd just run a marathon - except for the beatings he'd already taken - his limbs were heavy, his reflexes slow, and Kolya planted another fist firmly in his gut, grabbed him by the collar and spun him into a pile of boxes. He landed hard, panting, came partway to his knees in time to receive a kick in his side that resolved the 'cracked or broken' debate. He rolled over, curled around the blossoming pain, tried to control his gasps as Kolya grasped his jacket and jerked him up, dragging him clear of the debris and swinging him towards the wall.

He hit hard and blacked out for a second, coming to in time to see a boot heading at his face. He managed to deflect the first, but the second connected with the arm he'd used to block and something snapped. He screamed at the pain, and saw through dimming eyes Kolya, grinning, as he knelt and pushed at one shoulder. Sheppard flopped on his back, unable to move, the agony of his broken arm blooming up and down his side. He raised his other arm, trying to strike at Kolya, but the other man dodged with ease, hands coming down to squeeze his windpipe closed.

He beat at the man, weakly, uselessly, he couldn't die here, not this way…but the hands were strong and determined and he couldn't breathe, anoxia colouring his vision with pops and blazes of light, ears filling with sand, damping the sound of the radiation warning sirens…

OoO

They heard the scream over the wailing alarm and reacted instantly, turning and running through the hall. McKay was in the lead and was first into the storeroom, first to see Kolya methodically choking the life out of his friend, first to pull his Berretta and sight like he had done so many times in the gallery in Antarctica, in training on Atlantis, fired like he'd fired at the Wraith, bullet after bullet drilling into the man who had tortured him and was hurting someone he loved like a brother.

Kolya was dead before he hit the ground.

McKay holstered his gun, glancing up at Ford who was leaning on the wall, not looking very good.

"Good shooting," he gasped.

McKay looked at Kolya's dead body, wondered for an instant that he felt - nothing - killing that man, and took the few steps to close the distance between himself and Sheppard. He dropped to one knee, reached out tentatively - and Sheppard coughed, sucking in deep draughts of air, moaning. His eyes opened slightly, puzzled to see McKay leaning over him…the confusion cleared when he saw Ford behind.

"Gotta go, Major," McKay helped him up, took the uninjured arm over his shoulder - and fell hard against the wall when a sudden wave of dizziness took him. His stomach churned, the most recent meal threatened to make a re-appearance - he swallowed hard and shook his head viciously, what was wrong? Something warm and wet worked it's way down his upper lip and Ford stared at him - he'd moved forward to keep them both from falling when McKay had wavered.

"Your nose is bleeding…" he said. "Doc, we gotta go. We gotta get out of here."

McKay nodded, swallowing hard again against the bile. His joints shrieked at him, his throat was closing. Ford grasped Sheppard's free arm carefully, and they made for the mirror.

OoO

And in a room far above, McKay felt his throat swell, and his breathing become laboured, and through the pain he still smiled, knowing that though he'd lost - they'd win. And he died.

_Chapter 11_

Ford went first. McKay shoved Sheppard from behind, caution forgotten in the need to be gone, away, outta here NOW…he fell through behind Sheppard and lost the struggle to keep lunch down, lurching towards a plastic crate, falling to his knees and bringing up everything he'd eaten in the last week, it felt like. He felt a hand on his shoulder - one of the Marines, surprisingly, and when he'd brought up the last of his bootheels he used the tissue he was handed, bloodying it, drank from the bottle he was offered, and stood, walking carefully back towards where Beckett was doing a field assessment of Sheppard. Ford was sitting again, being evaluated by his old friend Hoffman. Weir glanced fleetingly at him, then stared.

"McKay? What happened? Were you in the fight?"

He shook his head and slid down to sit next to Ford, head still swimming, and pulled his knees up.

"The McKay over there must have been sick or something. I wasn't there for more than a few minutes before I started feeling it," He dropped his forehead to his forearms, working to stop the slow flip of his stomach. "Then it got really bad. Couldn't breathe properly."

"Radiation sickness." Sheppard rasped. He was on the gurney, Beckett tending to the broken arm, but his gaze was fastened on McKay. "McKay…dying…" and there was pain in his eyes that had nothing to do with the fracture.

McKay looked up at that, and, seeing Sheppard's face, pushed himself up with an effort and wove his way to the gurney.

"That's the other one, Major. The McKay that belongs here is me, and I'm very much alive," He grinned crookedly, swiped his nose with the last of the tissue. "See? Nosebleed's stopped. I feel fine. No radiation sickness here."

Sheppard's gaze held his, almost alarming in it's intensity. "Came for me." he said finally.

"Ford and I weren't leaving you behind." McKay could feel Carson hovering, but this was something that had to be addressed, and it was just as important as the injuries. "I couldn't break in another military goon. At least you have an intellect. Can you imagine me working with Bates?" He met Sheppard's eyes, unaware that his gaze said all his words did not.

Sheppard held that piercing stare for a moment. "you're…tall…" he said finally, and smiled a bit.

"Taller than you, anyway." McKay replied, grinning.

Sheppard sighed, and McKay patted the uninjured arm. "Go with Carson, now, like a good little soldier."

Carson touched his shoulder as he passed. "You're feeling better?"

"The other me was dying," McKay replied in irritation. "But all the symptoms eased soon after I got through, and I feel fine now." Carson cocked an eyebrow at him, and he sighed "I feel better, ok? It's fading as we speak." He saw the gurney pass through the door. "They're leaving without you." he commented.

Carson followed, "come see me as soon as you can" in his wake, and was in turn followed by another gurney with Ford, protesting, on it, then two more nurses. And he and Weir were left alone.

"I know why you're mad at me, Elizabeth, but I'd do the same again," McKay always felt a good offence was the best defense. "I knew he was in bad trouble, and he needed m...help."

Weir smiled slightly. "I am angry with you, Rodney, but I'm also grateful. Ford told me you got there just in time. You killed Kolya?"

McKay nodded. "Shot him." He blinked. "A lot." He wavered again, leaned on the wall.

"Come on," She took his arm firmly. "Let's go to the infirmary. I think Carson wants to check you over, make certain you're ok."

"I'm fine, but if the other McKay was dying…oh, crap," He stopped in the doorway. "That explains it."

"What?"

"Well, the other me sent me that letter…You may not realize this, but I have had a few - relationships - in my life, and - surprisingly - not all of them have gone well…"

They headed down the hall. Behind them, the mirror flickered once, and was dark again.

_Chapter 12_

Beckett finished his report, sat back, stretched. From where he sat, he could see McKay slouched in the chair next to Sheppard. It had been five hours since they'd returned, Sheppard's arm was set and his injuries tended.

McKay had sat through a brief exam, and a radiation check, then moved the only half-way comfortable chair in the infirmary next to the Major and settled in. He didn't even have his laptop. Or his PDA. As far as Beckett could tell, he simply sat there, thinking, maybe dozing.

He looked up as Beckett turned off the light in his office and wandered over.

"So this is becoming a tradition, is it now?"

McKay shrugged. "Guess so. I've got a lot of data I suppose I should be going through."

"But you're here."

A small nod. "It'll wait."

Beckett moved to the other side of the bed. "Are you ok?"

McKay sighed heavily. "I told Hoffman, it was a reaction to the other McKay. It was like having the symptoms, but not the disease. It took a bit, but I really am fine."

"That's not what I meant."

McKay raised an eyebrow.

"Humans weren't supposed to know about alternative universes," Beckett continued. " 'What if' has always been the most useless question - 'what if' means nothing, 'what is', is important. Now we've seen what happens when 'what if' is real. Elizabeth and the first mission. This quantum mirror. Don't you find it disturbing on a deep level?"

"I try not to think about it," Beckett snorted at McKay's response, and the physicist amended "well, much. Really. If we really thought about it a lot, we'd be afraid to make any decision at all. It's something I chose not to pursue, a long time ago on Earth, when we were doing the initial work on their quantum mirror."

He stared at Sheppard a moment. "I killed Kolya. Shot him. What scares me is how much I hated him at that moment. He was on top of John, choking him, and I didn't think twice. Now I look back on it…" he trailed off.

Beckett nodded. "Taking a life can haunt you."

McKay shook his head. "You don't understand. I think about it, and I have no feeling at all. I shot a rabid dog that was hurting my friend. And I can't think about the alternatives, because then I'd get so entrapped with the alternate possibilities and what would happen if I did this, rather than that…" he stopped, and looked at Beckett with haunted eyes.

"Two scientists had nervous breakdowns, working on that thing," he said softly. "I thought they were weak. But they weren't. They were just more sensitive to the potential."

Beckett said nothing, simply met his gaze.

"What happened over there, Carson?" he asked helplessly. "What went wrong that I - he - would choose suicide?"

The Scot shook his head. "I don't really want to imagine, Rodney. But John knows. He'll put it in the report, and we will be able to read it, if we want. Myself, I don't think I will."

McKay sighed, reached over and minutely adjusted the blanket covering Sheppard.

"I don't want to. But I will. I know part of it, the other one wrote a letter to me, but the way the Major looked…" he left 'at me' unsaid, but Beckett knew it finished the sentence.

"I need to know what happened - everything - if I'm going to be able to be there…" He stumbled over the words, unused to the clarity. "For him. Like he was after Gaul."

He touched the blanket again. "He understood. You know?"

Beckett nodded. "I know," he glanced at his watch. "But now, I think you should be getting some rest. The night shift is coming on, you know they'll contact you right away he begins to wake…"

McKay nodded, but didn't move. "I'll stay a bit longer, Carson. If you don't mind."

Beckett smiled, wearily. He'd known the outcome before he'd even started the conversation.

"Right," he said, and pulled a blanket from the rack at the end of the row of beds. "Here. You'll need it later, it gets cool in here."

McKay accepted it sheepishly, and Beckett grinned, turned.

"Carson?"

He looked back.

"You do good work."

He smiled appreciatively, and headed out.

OoO

Teyla knew there had been a steady flow of people stopping by. Before she'd been released as fit, she'd seen them. Aiden had stayed for a couple of hours, Elizabeth had been there, but she had stayed away, once she could leave, and even she didn't know exactly why. Finally, angry with herself, she made her way back.

She stood at the entry. It was dim inside, but she could make out the shapes, Sheppard on the bed, McKay asleep in the chair. Her stomach twisted, remembering the other McKay.

It hadn't been losing his legs that made him suicidal. She could see it in his eyes. He was dying anyway, of what she did not know, but the lines of pain were clear, and he was going to make a decision that she, herself, understood.

Now, though, here they were, and Sheppard would recover, the city was intact. All was, presently, right with her world.

McKay shifted, woke. Sensing someone near, he sat. "Who's there?" he called softly.

"It is I."

"Teyla," He pulled himself farther up in the chair, bundling the blanket. "Hi."

She moved closer, stood by the bed.

"I am sorry I was not here earlier." It was cool in the room, and she had neglected to bring her jacket. She shivered.

He noticed. "That's ok. Here," he stood and gestured to the chair, and she sat. It was still warm. He passed her the blanket and she curled up under it as he strode up and down the room, swinging his arms and stretching the kinks out of his neck.

She stared. She couldn't help it. Her first impression of him had been of a self-centered, bad tempered man, convinced that the world was out to get him. Her father had been wise, though, and she had heeded his advice. "Fair skin may hide foul heart." he'd told her, a warning against judging people before knowing them. She knew his measure now, even more than he did, and it warmed her heart to see him healthy. Walking.

He noticed her scrutiny, stopped.

"Have I grown a third eye?" he asked dryly.

"Is that another ability of your people?" she asked, teasing.

He didn't rise to the bait. "Ford shook my hand earlier. You're watching me like I'm an interesting bug." He leaned on the foot of the bed.

"What happened over there?"

She knew he didn't miss the way she wouldn't meet his eyes. He picked up another chair and carried it over, settling beside her.

"Well?"

"I do not know the entire story, Doctor, but I will tell what facts I have."

In quick sentences, she sketched the city the way she'd seen it, leaving out only the parentage of that Elizabeth's child - it was not her secret to tell - and the manner of that Sheppard's death - she suspected, but did not know.

And described that McKay's injuries as eventually terminal.

He watched her, face neutral, and when she finished he nodded.

"Of course, you don't know the whole story," he said, almost to himself. "And I don't think you told me everything you know."

She simply looked at him, and he smiled a bit.

"It's ok, I trust that you gave me the important parts. Thanks."

She relaxed a hair. "I did. There was more, but I did not wish to give incorrect or incomplete information."

"The scientists answer. Or the diplomats." He leaned back.

"I guess we'll just have to wait for Sleeping Beauty here to wake up."

They settled in to wait, together.

_Chapter 13_

Weir looked at the folded paper. It was the letter the other McKay had sent through the mirror along with the plea for help for the remains of the Atlantis expedition. It had been written on and scribbled out, as had all the paper on Atlantis, but it was something McKay had left with her. As part of the record for this particular off-world - or off-universe - expedition.

She unfolded it.

_This is weird. I've never written to myself before. Mind you, I've never had my dead best friend come through a trans-dimensional mirror before, either. Listen, you're going to want to come here. Don't. Just don't. Apart from the deleterious effect on both of us you don't want to be here. John doesn't want you to be here. Trust him on this, and go easy on them when they get back._

_I have to believe they'll get back._

_I should tell you what happened here. I don't know how many men Koyla sent to the grounding station in your reality, but here he sent five. Even John couldn't take those odds. They dragged him up and shot him twice, right in front of us. In the stomach. I think that was Kolyas mistake, though. Elizabeth and I did what we could but he was in so much pain. He asked me to kill him. I did. When the wave hit I got a call to the rest, we tried to re-take the city, but it didn't work. That's when I lost my legs. The Genii wouldn't let me die, though, and once I could work again it was made very clear to me that if I didn't help them Elizabeth would suffer._

_Listen. Things are bad here. And on top of it all I've been busy making certain Koyla couldn't use me forever. Figuring I have about a week before the damage from the radiation kills me. I've told her in the past to make a break for it but she wouldn't go. I started exposing myself to the material I've been using. I wanted to take away any reason she had to stay._

_Then John showed up again. He doesn't know I'm dead yet. I'll tell him soon. I think he still has visions of saving us both._

_Our plan needs Teyla and Aiden, and they'll need a radio. One of the last things Aiden said to me before he took off for a jumper was that they'll be monitoring the jumper channels. He was thinking of us all getting separated, but this'll do too. It's only been a few months. Hope he's kept his word._

_The cesium should get the Genii off Atlantis, and our people will be able to return someday._

_Did you date Angela? If you did, and she gave you the same goodbye gift as she did me, can you give it to Ford to bring through? Mine got lost when the city broke up. I just want to have that choice. I'm scared to die this way - and I always wanted to taste lemon juice. _

_I promise to send your team back, no matter what it takes. Take care of them._

The pain in the letter made her throat tight.

It made her wonder if she wanted to hear the whole story.

_Chapter 14_

It wasn't the first broken arm he'd had, but it had been almost twenty years since the last one, and he'd lost the knack. T-shirts weren't that hard, the fiberglass cast slipped through the arm fairly easily, less bulky than plaster. Long sleeve shirts were more daunting, but one of McKay's old sweatshirts, from pudgier times, had covered that. Socks were tricky, but everything else south of the border was ok.

Except his boots.

One old sergeant had told him as long as he could tie his own boots he knew he was still a soldier.

"Guess I've retired." he muttered glumly, bowed to the inevitable and pulled on his sneakers.

He knew the rest of his team were off-world, and it was like an itch he couldn't scratch. The Desai were making good on some of their promises, and Sheppard had long ago come to the conclusion that the true heroes of the expedition were the nutritionists and the cooks, using foreign supplies and grains to keep them all fed.

But even knowing that they were in friendly territory didn't help. They were off world. Without him.

OoO

Weir was in her office, staring at the gate through the glass wall, and he rapped on the door.

"Want some company?"

She looked up and smiled. He took that as a 'yes' and wandered in, sitting - he was surprised how gratefully. His ribs were better - only one broken after all - and his strength was returning. All four of them had received a dose of radiation from the other McKay's 'plan B', but Beckett merely informed them not to break anything more for the next two years, because he wouldn't be using the Xray on them any time soon.

But he'd had two professional beatings, and he would be stiff and sore for some time. Weir's eyes followed him as he sat.

"They're due back in a bit," she said.

She said nothing for several seconds. Patiently, Sheppard waited.

"I read the reports," she said finally. "When did this mission become a Star Trek episode?"

Sheppard grinned. "About the time we stepped into a stone circle that sent us to another galaxy."

She chuckled. "Ok. But something wasn't in there." She leaned forward.

"Who was the father?"

He grimaced, he'd anticipated that coming up. "I don't know." Fortunately, it was the truth - Weir could generally see through his prevarications.

"You must have an idea."

"Teyla didn't tell me." Not a lie either, though he did have his suspicions.

She didn't give up. "Then she must have an idea..."

Never was he so glad to hear the gate engage. He stood, carefully, and his ribs made no real complaint as he headed out to the control area. Saved by the bell.

Teyla was first through, and she smiled up at them, heading up the stairs. McKay showed up next, and behind them came a parade of supplies on dollies, sleds, in boxes and cases. Glancing up, he grinned when he saw Sheppard, and tasked Farrar to manage the disposition of the materials, climbing to the second level.

"I'll want that back." He tugged at the shirt, and Sheppard slapped his hand away.

"Like it even fits you anymore."

"For which I'm grateful. We could make a million with this place, Elizabeth, think of it! 'The Atlantis Diet'. Secret ingredient - running for your life three or four times a week."

Sheppard shook his head. "You and your wacky get rich quick schemes."

"Teyla, if you have a moment?" Weir interjected.

McKay glared. "Interrupting our witty repartee," he grumbled.

"When I hear some, I promise not to interrupt it," she said sweetly. "Teyla?"

Ignoring the whines of the insulted, they made for her office.

OoO

"It was a success, I see," she said, gestured Teyla to sit.

"Very successful."

Small talk was over. "I read the reports..."

"...and you wish to know who the father was."

Weir smiled. "You're psychic."

Teyla regarded her appraisingly. "Why would you wish to know?" she asked bluntly. "Might it not affect how you relate to that person now?"

"...which means it's not Kolya, and effectively narrows it to two..."

Teyla sighed. "Knowing would gain you nothing. However, if you think about it tonight, and truly wish to know, we will breakfast together. You may ask me then," She looked over Weir's shoulder deliberately. "The Lieutenant is coming through. He is the last."

Ford was carrying three cases whose resemblance to beer cases was uncanny. McKay had found Sheppard a rolling chair and pushed him up to the balcony to watch with him, and was now bouncing with anticipation.

"Booze?"

He grinned. "Better. Ford!"

Ford passed off all but one bottle to the rest, bringing it up to the control room. He uncorked it and presented it to Weir, who looked around suspiciously and took a cautious sip.

"Oh."

She took another.

"Oh, that is good…"

McKay held out his hand and she passed it back. He handed it over to Sheppard.

"This is a setup, right?" he grumbled, but swiped the top of the bottle politely and swigged.

"Holy cow," He stared at the bottle. "That tastes like…like…"

"Tim Horton's Frappacino," McKay said, rocking on his heels. "It has no alcohol. It has more caffeine per cup than the best and strongest cappuccino."

"I was going to say Starbucks, but call it a cultural difference. This is amazing!" He took another blast, held it out. Magnanimously, McKay shook his head.

"He has already consumed three bottles." Teyla confided. "He is the source of some astonishment to the Desai."

"Three? Great. Wired McKay. Just what I needed."

Ford folded his hands behind his back. "We have enough for a week or so. The Desai say it's not that hard to make, but Mister Stoneface here," he gestured at McKay, who merely grinned at him, "shot my bargaining position to hell – they will want to do some more negotiating."

Weir laughed. "Seeing as how we'll all be caffeine addicts again by then, I guess we'll be going back soon. Carry on, gentlemen."

She retreated to the office, smiling to herself as she watched Ford and McKay push Sheppard as far as the chair would take him. To an outsider it would be roughhousing, but she saw how careful they were and knew her co-commander was in good hands.

And that was all she could ask for, wasn't it? Did it really matter what happened in the other universes, when her own was currently intact? And wasn't it just borrowing trouble, asking questions about a universe that hadn't – as far as she was concerned – come to pass?

She sat down, leaned back. She'd still meet Teyla for breakfast, but she wouldn't be asking the question again.

For her, here, now, it didn't matter.


End file.
